Conventional four-in-hand neckties are typically constructed with an outer layer Of base fabric, usually woven, and of a uniform pattern and/or color throughout. Hence a substantial inventory of different designs and patterns of such ties is typically required to meet the wardrobe needs of the average necktie wearer for matching or harmonizing with the wearing apparel selected for the day or the occasion. Moreover, the range of variations in the ornamental styling and aesthetic effect presented by such ties is limited by the conventional construction of such ties.
In the prior art several efforts have been made to enhance the versatility of the wearer's wardrobe inventory of neckties by special constructions produced at the point of tie manufacture to provide, for example, a reversible necktie, such as that shown in the Hughes U.S. Pat. No. 3,959,825. Further efforts have been made in the past to provide novel necktie constructions which enable the production of new necktie designs theretofore unobtainable with then known methods of making neckties. Special contrasting border effects have been achieved in the constructions of the Adler U.S. Pat. No. 3,950,790 and Klaus U.S. Pat. No. 2,825,904. However these special-effect neckties constructions were designed only for practical implementation at the point of tie manufacture and required deviation from standard production methods for making conventional four-in-hand ties. The additional costs involved have undoubtedly prevented these ties constructions from appearing in the market place in other than very limited quantities, if at all.
Another example of such patent efforts is shown in U.S. Slocum design Pat. Des. 239,577 illustrating a dual necktie construction in which an outer or front tie, apparently of somewhat conventional construction, overlies an inner or rear tie, also apparently of conventional construction. The inner tie is wider than the outer or front tie, the outer tie being substantially narrower so that the posterior or exterior surface of the inner or rear tie is only visible along both of its longitudinal edges where the same is not covered by the front tie. However this tie construction is not conventional in that the ties are not four-in-hand ties, but rather are cut-off so as to only present a front length portion of each tie. The upper ends are attached in some fashion to a specially constructed neck band with a rearwardly positioned detachable fastener construction, somewhat in the manner of pre-tied "cheater" bow ties. The Slocum design also is neither reversible in use nor constructable from standard four-in-hand neckties of conventional widths, which typically in men's neck wear only gradually vary in width with gradual style changes over the years.